Twas the Night Before Christmas
by PennyHill
Summary: A few months after the eclipse, DG finds one of her favorite children's books. DG-centric with Azkadellia and Ahamo/The Queen.


**Title:** 'Twas the Night Before Christmas  
**Author**: Penny_hill  
**Characters/Pairing**: DG, Azkadellia, Ahamo/the Queen  
**Rating**: G  
**Summary**: A few months after the eclipse, DG finds one of her favorite children's books.  
**Warning**: A little *sappy!fluffy*  
**Length**: 2179  
**Disclaimer**: I do not own any of the rights to Tin Man, nor the respective characters.

She had never asked her new parents for this and it was not until afterwards she learned that they had insisted upon it. As she blew the dust off of yet another picture frame she suddenly stopped.

_My new parents…_

_They aren't my new parents. They've always been my real parents. But… Hank and Em, they were my parents too._

DG's eyes refocused on to the picture frame. With a clean tissue she carefully cleaned the glass and realized that it was a picture of her, Hank, and Em. She was in her softball uniform and her team had won one of the playoff games.

_I miss you so much_.

She never realized it back then but Em's eyes would always flutter for the briefest of moments before she would recite some old saying. Em would always preface it with "Your grandmother would have said." DG wiped her sniffle with the back of her hand. She spoke to herself, "Old habits die hard don't they." She sighed and then added, "Yeah Em, I'm talking to myself again. But don't worry, I'm not answering myself yet." Then she gently set aside the picture frame and reached in to the crate once more. Her father and mother insisted that a small contingency of soldiers be sent back to retrieve her belongings from her personal life. Whether it was out of guilt for not being able to restore Hank and Emily, or to try to make the transition to her new life easier, DG did not know, nor did she care.

The next object felt like a book. She picked it up and let out a small gasp. It was one of her favorite books from her childhood.

"Thank you Arabella, that will be all for this evening. You have done so much more that what has been necessary," a voice whispered. It was weary and its lyrical tones were gone. Arabella stopped and looked at the Queen and her consort sitting together on the settee.

"Are you sure Mum?" Arabella's eyebrows furled together. "I could fetch you a quick cup of honeyed tea." She adored the Queen and treated her like her own mother. To others she was a simple maid whose familiar treatment of the royal court bordered on breeching all codes of conduct. However, the Queen had taken a special liking to her. One must understand that the Queen knew that first and foremost, it had been critical that Arabella pass all of the special tests in order to be so close to the royal family. But after that, in the Queen's eyes, she was not just a maid; she was another lonely girl who had lost her mother during the Witch's reign. Given that the alchemists through their myriad of tests could not find an ounce of ill will toward Azkadellia made her all the more special.

The Queen felt a gentle touch upon her knee. It was Ahamo's calloused hand. He leaned closer to her and even in the dim light of the fire, saw the deep dark circles under her eyes. "Dear, we do not need to do this tonight. I'm sure that DG understands." He glimpsed over to his youngest daughter. Her hands were holding Azkadellia's but she had turned her attention to her mother and father.

The Queen reached out and gently squeezed her husband's hand. "It is alright dear." She gave him a weak smile and looked back at Arabella who had by now stood in front of her, hands clasped together in worry. "Arabella, go and get some rest this evening. Tomorrow will be another long day."

Arabella was ready to protest but stopped. She knew when she was defeated. The Queen's words were not harsh, but they were still weighty enough to qualify as a Mum's order. She swallowed hard as she nodded to both of them before retiring for the evening.

All eyes followed Arabella as she left and as the door clicked, the Queen looked back at her daughters sitting on the other settee. Azkadellia looked paler than usual and her dressing gown was buttoned tightly up to her neck. It was a sight that the Queen had not seen since she had been a little girl. DG was dressed in a tailored pair of her father's red flannel pajamas. The Queen smiled. Even Arabella had scoffed when DG asked for them to be made rather than submitting to the normal attire of a nightgown and dressing gown.

DG finally spoke up. "Mom, we don't have to do this tonight. You should take the same advice that you just gave Arabella and go to bed."

"DG… this is something that I want to do… with all of you." She turned her head and gazed lovingly in to Ahamo's eyes. "It is something that your father did for me once a long time ago, even before Azkadellia was born." His hand was still resting on her knee and she squeezed it once more. Ahamo took it in his, and pulled his wife closer to him with his other free arm. He said, "DG, go ahead and start."

As DG reached for the book, Azkadellia whispered, "DG, this is fairy tale from the Other Side, right?"

"Yeah Az, it is. Parents read it to their children, but they make movies and TV shows about it too," DG replied as she carefully opened up her book.

Azkadellia shook her head. DG often made reference of things from the Other Side. It was all so foreign to her and so often hard to understand. Deep down she wondered if what she felt, at this moment, was what DG had felt when she was unwillingly drugged back in to their world.

DG sensed the frustration from her older sister. "Az, I don't expect you to understand who Santa Claus, er I mean, Saint Nicholas is. Just try to think of it as someone who makes wishes come true." Then she began,

'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house  
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;

The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,  
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

The children were nestled all snug in their beds,  
While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads;

And mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap,  
Had just settled down for a long winter's nap,

When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,  
I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.

Away to the window I flew like a flash,  
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow  
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,

When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,  
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer,

With a little old driver, so lively and quick,  
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick.

More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,  
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name;

"Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen!  
On, Comet! on Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen!

To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!  
Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!"

As dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,  
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,

So up to the house-top the coursers they flew,  
With the sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas too.

And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof  
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.

As I drew in my hand, and was turning around,  
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound.

He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,  
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot;

A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,  
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack.

His eyes -- how they twinkled! his dimples how merry!  
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!

His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,  
And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow;

The stump of a pipe he held tight in his teeth,  
And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath;

He had a broad face and a little round belly,  
That shook, when he laughed like a bowlful of jelly.

He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,  
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself;

A wink of his eye and a twist of his head,  
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread;

He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work,  
And filled all the stockings; then turned with a jerk,

And laying his finger aside of his nose,  
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose;

He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,  
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.  
But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,  
"Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good-night."

All were silent except for the crackling of the fire. "That was lovely DG," said the Queen in a low voice.

DG closed her book and looked back up at Azkadellia. Her eyes were unfocused and she appeared to be deep in thought. After a few minutes, Azkadellia looked back up to her sister. "It's just a fairly tale isn't it."

"Yeah, you could call it that." DG did not understand the point, if any, her sister was going to attempt to make.

Azkadellia's eyes began to mist over and she whispered, "I wish that the Outer Zone had a Saint Nicholas to undue all of the terrible things that I did." Her voice grew a little stronger. "DG… you told me to think of it as someone who makes wishes come true. That's what I wish for now… but it's just a fairy tale."

DG put the book down and reached to hug her sister. "Az…" she started and then stopped. She took a deep breath to compose herself before starting once again. "Az… it's true that there's no Saint Nicholas in the O.Z. But each of us has a little bit of that spirit." DG hugged Azkadellia tightly. "Look at Arabella, she has it. And if enough of us has that spirit, everything can be put right again." DG released Azkadellia and took her hands to gently wipe away the couple of tears that flowed down on her cheeks. "It won't happen overnight Az, but it'll happen."

Azkadellia nodded, gave DG one final hug, and stood up. She walked over to her mother and reached over to hug her. The Queen whispered in her ear, "The earth will right itself once more. It will take time, but the spark is there." Azkadellia only nodded her acknowledgment of her mother's words. She turned and walked out of the room, gently closing the door behind her.

The Queen sighed deeply. Ahamo moved to give her a gentle kiss on her forehead. He whispered, "She'll be okay. After DG opens her present I'll check in on her." She murmured her acceptance and for the briefest of moments laid her head on his chest.

She rose to look at her youngest daughter as Ahamo said, "Your mother and I got you a small present for Christmas. It's hidden behind that other chair by the fireplace."

"You guys shouldn't have," replied DG as she went to get it.

DG quickly found the small gift and sat down in the overstuffed chair. It was a split picture frame. One side was a photo of Ahamo and the Queen on a balcony overlooking the O.Z., while on the other side was a picture of Hank and Em sitting on the swing back in Kansas. She felt the tears well up in her eyes as she read the message that was centered underneath both photos. "No matter where we are, you will always be our daughter. Love always."

DG leapt up from the chair and hugged her parents deeply. "Thank you so much," she whispered between sniffles.

Ahamo pushed DG away and wiped a tear from her cheek. "We're so sorry that we couldn't bring Hank and Em back for you. The alchemists tried so hard but their memories were too far removed. We wanted them to be here for you, especially at this time of year. Even though your mother and I never experienced Christmas with you, we hope that this is the first of many."

DG wiped away the rest of her tears with the back of her hand. "I know that you and Mom did everything that you could." She took a backwards look at the twin photos lying on the chair. "But I'll always have them in my heart… Merry Christmas Mom and Dad. I hope that this is the first of many too."


End file.
